and he has planted fruit and shade
trees, erected the buildings necessary for his comfort and convenience, and
surrounded himself and his family with all of the comforts and many of
the luxuries of life. Since locating in Nebraska there have been added to his
family two more children to gladden their home: Leonard B., born June 18, 1875.
and Horace C., Jan. 5. 1880; they are all at home. Mr. Gilmore's career
as a man and citizen has been such as to commend him to the esteem and
confidence of the people of this section, and he has been no unimportant
factor in the encouragement of those projects which have tended for the best
good of
his community. He received the appointment of Postmaster in the spring of 1884,
under the administration of President Arthur, and has conducted the affairs
of the office in a manner creditable to himself and satisfactory to all
concerned.

The first Presidential
vote of our subject was cast for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and he has uniformly
been a supporter of Republican principles. He is serving his third term
as School Director in his district, and is in favor of everything to improve
the county and elevate society.

We present a view
of Mr. Gilmore's farm residence on another page of this ALBUM.

EORGE
T. MITCHELL is widely and favorably known as one of the successful farmers
of Barneston Township. His property is situated on section 33, and is
160 acres in extent; it is utilized for the purpose of general farming,
supplemented by the raising of stock. This gentleman is a native of Michigan,
and was born on the 30th of June, 1856. He is the son of Elisha and Elizabeth
Mitchell, natives respectively of New York and England. The former is
deceased.

The parents of our
subject removed in 1862 to Guthrie County, Iowa, and continued there to engage
in farm and dairy work. In that place our subject spent the days of boyhood
and youth, and in its schools received his education, which, although not so
extensive as might have been desired, covered the more common branches,
and in these was thorough. From the time of leaving school our subject
was employed in farming until 1880, when he came to this county, and
settled upon his present farm.

In September, 1881,
our subject was joined in wedlock to Martha With, who was born in Illinois,
Oct. 8, 1860, to John W. and Sarah With, residents of Paddock Township,
this county, and natives of Maryland. The felicity of this union has been more
assured and completed by the birth of four children, to whom have been
given the names here subjoined: Bertie, George, Ora and Clara E.

Our subject has for
many years been a member of the United Brethren Church, in which communion
he, with his family, is held in high regard as a worthy and consistent
adherent.

DWARD
LEONARD is a successful general farmer and stock-raiser, residing on section
14, Lincoln Township. where he has a well-improved farm of 160 acres. He purchased
it and made his home on it in 1884, since which time he has changed it from
rough, uncultivated prairie land to the fertile and attractive fields
of a well regulated farm, and has it well stocked with a good grade of
cattle, horses and hogs. He was born in France on the 19th of July, 1861,
and when he was about four years old his parents came to the United States
and made their home in Illinois. The father, Francis Leonard, was born
in France, and there spent all his life previous to his coming to America;
there he was educated and taught the agricultural arts, and there he
married his wife, Margaret Spade, who is, like her husband, of pure French ancestry.
When they left their native country they had a family of seven children, and with
them they settled in Effingham County, Ill., where one child was born to them.
They remained in that place until 1871, when they came to this county,
and the father secured a tract of unbroken prairie land in Blakely Township,
on which they lived until quite recently, The parents are now retired
from active business life, and make their home in the city of Beatrice.

In company with his parents our subject came to this county 1871, where he continued the pursuit of his education, and grew up to young man-

436

GAGE COUNTY

hood. On the 19th of January, 1887,
he was united in marriage, in Beatrice, to Miss Kate McHugh, who was born in
Warren County, Ohio, on the 21st of December, 1868. She is the daughter
of Daniel and Anna (Guckian) McHugh, who were natives of Ireland, but
had early come to the United States, and were married in Ohio. They came to
Nebraska in 1881, since which time they made their home near Filley,
where the mother is yet living, aged about forty-four years, the father
having died on the 22d of December, 1884, at the age of forty-six years.
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard are devout members of the Catholic Church, and are esteemed
as highly intelligent and respected citizens of Lincoln Township. The former affiliates
with the Republican party in politics, and is spoken of among his fellowmen
as an honest and honorable business man, possessing the confidence of
those with whom he is brought in contact in a business and social way.

REDERICK
W. KASSING. A goodly proportion of the pioneer settlers of Gage County
have been those who trace their origin to a foreign land, principally the Empire
of Germany. Of that great nation the ancestors of our subject were a
portion, and he also was born in what is now the Prussian Province of
Hanover, on the 20th of May, 1838. His parents, Joseph and Elizabeth
(Evermann) Kassing, spent their entire lives on their native soil. Frederick
W. remained a member of the parental household until a youth of eighteen years,
and then, not satisfied with the outlook for the future, made arrangements
with his brother, Joseph K., to emigrate to America. In the summer of
1856, bidding adieu to the friends and associations of their childhood,
they embarked on a sailing-vessel at Bremen, and after a tedious ocean
voyage of about seven weeks and three days, landed in the city of Baltimore,
Md. Thence they soon proceeded to Scioto County, Ohio, where our subject
followed cabinet-making several years, a trade he had learned when but
a boy in his native town. Upon the outbreak of the Cival (sic) War he
enlisted, in August, 1861, in Company F, 33d Ohio Infantry, and participated
in many of the important battles which followed. At Perryville he was wounded
in the jaw, and confined in the Marine Hospital from the 8th of October
until the 12th of April, 1863. He then accepted his honorable discharge,
and is now the recipient of a pension of $12 per month from the Government.

Upon leaving the army
Mr. Kassing sought his old haunts in Scioto County, Ohio, and occupied himself
at wagon-making in both Scioto and Lawrence Counties a number of years.
In the meantime he was married, Sept. 14, 1864, to Miss Mary Freye, a native
of the Buckeye State, and who by her union with our subject has become
time mother of nine children. Of these the record is as follows: Emma
E. is the wife of Charles Kurtzer, of Lancaster County, this State; the
others, William, John, Sarah, Louisa, Frank. David, Alice and George, are at
home with their parents.

Mr. Kassing in the
spring of 1868 left the Buckeye State, and coming to this county, homesteaded
eighty acres of land in Clatonia Township, and on account of his military
services secured still further real estate upon a land warrant. He is now the
owner of 240 acres, which he has brought to a good state of cultivation,
and upon which he has erected substantial frame buildings. The present
dwelling hardly meets his requirements, and in the near future he expects
to put up a residence which will be more in keeping with his means and
station. He has planted a fine assortment of shade trees adjacent to the residence,
comprising walnut, ash and cottonwood, which are already of sufficient size
to ward off the heat of summer and the storms of winter. The career of
Mr. Kassing has been one of great industry and perseverance, and in the
possession of a fine estate he is enjoying ample reward for his toil and sacrifices.

Mr. Kassing upon
becoming a naturalized citizen identified himself with the Republican party,
to which he has since given his cordial support. He has been quite prominent
in local affairs, serving nearly four years as Postmaster at Baden, which
is now Clatonia post-office. and being the first incumbent of this
office. He has also served as School Director, and takes a genuine
interest in the establishment and support of educational institutions.

GAGE COUNTY

437

Both he and his excellent wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which our subject has served as Steward and been one of its chief pillars.

Mrs. Kassing was born
in Scioto County, Ohio, Nov. 3, 1844, and is the daughter of John and
Elizabeth Freye. Her parents were natives of Germany, and emigrated to America
early in life, before their marriage, settling in Scioto County, Ohio. There
the mother died about 1856. The father subsequently removed to Lawrence
County, in the same State, and departed hence about 1868. Their family
included nine children, only three of whom are living: Adam H. of Kentucky;
Elizabeth, the wife of Daniel Miller, of Ohio, and Mrs. Kassing, the
wife of our subject.

OHN
B. MUMFORD. Among the farmers and stock-raisers of Logan Township, who occupy
a prominent place in their chosen occupation, must certainly be mentioned the gentleman
whose name is at the head of this compendium. Our subject was born in Worcester County,
Md., on the 2d of September, 1830. Until he attained his majority he continued
to make his home with his parents, but at the age of twenty-one years he removed
to Adams County, Ohio, with his mother. He is a brother of Jacob Mumford,
a prominent farmer of this county, a sketch of whose life will be found
upon another page of this volume, to which we would refer the reader
desirous of obtaining further particulars regarding this interesting family.

Our subject removed
in the year 1854 from his farm in Adams County, Ohio, to Argyle, Wis.,
and thence to Willow Springs, in the same State. There he remained until 1865,
each year witnessing an increasing prosperity and progress. In the latter year
he left the State of Wisconsin and removed to this county, settling upon
his present farm, which he purchased from his brother. This property
was 160 acres in extent. Since that time he has purchased an additional
240 acres, making the 400 acres which is the extent of the farm now opperated
(sic) by him. This is all thoroughly well improved. His fields and pastures
are well fenced and that part under cultivation presents an appearance
of intelligent, thrifty success that argues well for the coming harvest.
For his stock there is water in abundance from Bear Creek, which is stream
supplied by a large number of springs, and in the divest season is still
a sure source of supply Then he has provided a full set of substantially built,
well-arranged farm buildings, and has erected a very pleasant, commodious dwelling,
which is supplied with numberless conveniences that can only be fully
appreciated by the thorough house keeper. He has furthermore set out
in the vicinity of his home a large number of fruit trees of various
kinds and of choice grades, and provided several groves of fine shade and forest trees,
which add very much to the beauty of the situation.

While resident in
Adams County, Ohio, our subject was united in marriage with Mary A. Roush,
on the 28th of August, 1853. This lady, who is the daughter of Permeaus and Catherine
(Smith) Roush, of Virginia, was born in Adams County, on the 2d of June, 1837. Their
union has been blessed and its felicities increased by the birth of nine children,
whose names are here given: Willie (deceased), Sarah, Charles B., George
(deceased), Eugene, Ida N., Frank, Clara and Luther. Their son Charles,
who is a farmer in Logan Township is the husband of Martha Dearborn,
who has presented him with three children--Charley D., Leslie M. and
Mabel E. Sarah is happily married to W. A. Foreman, of whom a sketch appears
upon another page of this volume; they are the parents of three children,
to whom have been given the following names: Ernest, Walter and Arthur.

The stock upon Mr.
Mumford's farm differs only in parts and points from that usually found
upon a first-class and well-regulated stock farm. Perhaps the most worthy
of mention
of the large number of very beautiful creatures in his stables and pastures
is a trotter," Minnie E.," who shows about 2:40 gait; she
is a bright bay color and stands sixteen hand high. By all connoisseurs
she is considered one of the best built trotters of the State, as shapely
in form and of as elegant grace of action as can be found in quite a large
district of country. She was sired by the celebrated "Bret Harte."

438

GAGE COUNTY

At present our subject
is not in active membership with any society or fraternity, although he was
at one time and for many years a member of the Society of Grangers. In political
matters he acknowledges allegiance to the Democratic party, of which he has
for many years been an acknowledged supporter, and for which, in the
late campaign, he did all that lay in his power, considering his age.
Whatever influence he possessed in the county, and it is not a little,
was given in the interest of the men who are the choice of the Democrats of
the United States, as expressed in their convention. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Mumford have been since early life members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and are acknowledged among its truest friends, strongest supporters
and most consistent adherents. It were indeed hard to find in Logan Township
a family held in higher regard than that of our subject.

OHN
MORDHORST. Upon Niagara avenue in the city of Wymore there stands an unexceptionally
fine brick business block, which bears the name of the subject of this sketch,
who is one of the prominent citizens and early settlers, having located here
before the platting of the city. This gentleman was born in Holstein,
Germany, upon the 12th of January, 1825, and received his education in
the public schools of his native place, which was afterward supplemented
by a course in a private academy. At the age of seventeen he was apprenticed
to a butcher for four years, which was followed by a like period, beginning
in the year 1848, in which he was attached to the army, and served in
the 4th Corps. He saw considerable service in the war in which Holstein
sought to free itself from Denmark. As is well known it failed, but has
since become part of the German Empire. Our subject was several times wounded, and
still bears some eight or ten scars from the more serious of his wounds.

In 1852 our subject
left the army and resumed his trade, and continued to follow the same for about
five years, when he came to the United States, and proceeded direct to
Davenport, Iowa, and settled there in the year 1857. He made his home in that
city for about one year, which eventually proved to be one of the most
important in his life, from the fact that he there met and subsequently
married Miss Louisa Lentz, Dec. 16, 1859, a lady who has since that time
aided him largely in achieving the brilliant success which his history shows
to be his. Almost immediately after his marriage he went to Muscatine,
in the same State, and engaged in his regular business, and in that place
all their children were born. Their family included four sons and two
daughters, whose names are subjoined Detlef, John, Jr., Frank S., Anna,
Charles and Etta. Of these all but John and Frank are living.

After remaining in
Muscatine for seventeen years, our subject purchased a farm of 240 acres in
Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and improved it, taking exceptional pains with
the buildings, erecting fences, setting out an orchard and other trees, and
in short made it almost a model farm, and made his home there for a period
of seven years. In the year 1879 our subject sold his Iowa property,
and came to Blue Springs, Wymore being then an unknown quantity. He entered
in business here, having a heavy contract with the Burlington & Missouri
River Railway to furnish meat to the workmen in their employ, in extending
the line from Culvertson to Denver, as he had previously done when the
track was laid from Table Rock to Antikote. Both contracts were a great
financial success. Upon returning from the absence necessitated by the
above our subject opened a market here, and also one in Blue Springs, and in
these also saw a continuance of prosperity, and built the block above referred
to.

The property referred to in our opening
paragraph is only one of several buildings in which Mr. Mordhorst is interested,
for he is also the owner of an exceptionally fine residence, and quite
a number of both improved and unimproved pieces of property, also a large and beautiful
pasture not far from the city. In addition to the business in live and dead
meat, which is by far the largest in the city, our subject has established
ice houses, which are at once the first erected and the largest in the
city. His butcher establishment our subject now rents to his eldest son,
but retains his ice trade, which is every year growing in importance. He began
in